Cyber Criminals Target Public Schools – SET SEG Acts

Cyber Risk Assessment

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, public schools were common targets for cybercriminals due to inconsistent cyber security resources and best practices. With the shift to online and hybrid learning models, bad actors increased the severity and frequency of attacks to take advantage of a hectic and vulnerable environment.

According to a study conducted by cyber security experts, Beazley, the education sector is in the top five industries targeted by cybercriminals. The study also identified employees as the largest at-risk group for giving cybercriminals a way into networks, whether by clicking on an insecure link or providing access to malicious contacts.

Armed with this information, the SET SEG team developed a Cyber Risk Assessment, a visual representation of a school district’s cyber risk level through a red, yellow, and green light system. In the assessment tool, cyber security best practices are listed as actionable tasks with a green to red color-coded scale for the school district to determine their risk level.

With a tool like the Cyber Risk Assessment, a public school’s administration can identify areas of strength, areas to evaluate and improve, and areas that require immediate attention.

Protecting School Districts from Cyber Threats in the Future

While the Cyber Risk Assessment helped districts across the state strengthen their cyber security, SET SEG is committed to continue providing the best resources available to members. Recently, SET SEG partnered with Tetra Defense, a leading cyber defense firm that has significant experience in the education industry. As part of our cyber insurance coverage, members with MyCyber will receive monthly scans from Tetra Defense identifying any weak spots in their network that bad actors could take advantage of.

Resources provided by the MyCyber platform aren’t just basic FAQs you could find on the internet. The recommended cyber hygiene projects and associated resources are defined by professionals tirelessly engaging these cyber threats every day. The information your district will have access to is the most relevant information available regarding cyber defense.

If you’re a SET SEG member, click here to access the SET SEG member registration code and sign up to bolster your district’s cyber security today!